JlioiiKis Sff'i-fi/ Hiiitf. — Vrazer. 9 
activity of workers to concrete facts and indisputable conclusions, 
but it was like a panic in an army, and lost man}' a <ireat mind 
like that of Dr. Hunt to the abstract branch of chemical research. 
In the period covered by Dr. Hunts work it was not good form 
among the masters to consider theoretical chemistry at all. but 
rather to work sedulously to collect facts. Yet these facts once 
gained it has resulted that the old fabric of Berzelius has Ix'cn 
re-erected. Additional superstructure indeed has Iteeii added, 
but his foiuidations have been left untouched. 
As an illustration of the unconscious repetition by Dr. Hunt 
of the mental processes of (ierhardt, compare his statenu'ut re- 
garding the definition of organic chemistry in •• A new l)asis of 
chemistry {\ 1.")) with tiie following language (jf (ierhardt: 
"Comme toutes les matieics organu|ues sans exception aucune, 
renferment du carbolic, on pent dire (luelle — (la chimie organi- 
(}ue) — ••est la chimie du carbone." [Ch. rrerhardt ]*recis de 
Chiuiie ()rgani([ue, Notices preliminaires, Paris, 1S44.J The 
minds of these men worked in similar grooves, and had Dr. Hunt 
replac(Ml Laui-ent in collaboration with (Ierhardt it is very ))rol)- 
able that similar results would liaxc lieeu obtained. 
His research in mineralogy and geology was of similar ciiar- 
acler to that in chemistry. Here again l)esi(h's the keen ol)serv- 
ing power of a •■ Foi-scher ' Di'. Hunt was an attentive student 
of the literature of liis subject, and he sehhjm, if ever, made the 
mistake of Ijeginning an olil iii\ estigation as if he were the lirst 
to think of it. ()n the contrary, it seemed his mission to exhume 
and revitalize the \ lews of tiic oldest savants in the subjects that 
lie treated: imparting to their words a meaning which either iiad 
not been understood, or tlie inqjort of which had lieeii o\-ei-looked. 
It is tlius that we (iiid liini going back to Wci'ner s views in his 
"ci'cnitic" hy[)olliesis; to Amos Katon. in his reconstruction of 
the Itase of the American e()hnnn; to Hreithaui)t. in his classiliea- 
tion of mineral species. .\\\{\ wlieliiei- or not in every case the 
original views of his suliject justilied his interpretation of them, 
the attention which he calleil to these views threshed out the re- 
maining seed which had not lieen pi'e\iously extracted and made 
moi-e secui-e the fame of the old masters. Tiie tendency of this 
treatment also was benelieial in i-esti'icting the nninber of new 
" schools, " 
On the other hand it must l)e ackii(")wledi:-ed that Hi'. Hunt in 
